Globalization and the Income Slowdown
In my exchanges with economists so far, globalization is among the most commonly cited factors for the income slowdown. American workers today face vastly more competition from foreign workers --...
View ArticlePlacing Blame for Middle-Class Doldrums
A Pew survey asked to what extent various groups were responsible “for the difficulties the middle class has faced in the past 10 years.”
View ArticleWhy the Minimum Wage Doesn’t Explain Stagnant Wages
Is the minimum wage one of the most important causes of the American income slowdown?
View ArticleTax Cuts and Economic Growth
A new report from the Congressional Research Service finds that "changes over the past 65 years in the top marginal tax rate and the top capital gains tax rate do not appear correlated with economic...
View ArticleRace, ‘Holistic Admissions’ and U.C.L.A.
Are admissions officers illegally taking race into account — or legally going to extra lengths to reward students for having overcome disadvantage, which happens to benefit black and Latino students?
View ArticleQ. and A. on Forecasting Based on Voter Expectations
An interview with Justin Wolfers, co-author of a recent study concluding that who voters think will win is a more reliable predictor of the outcome than asking them how they plan to vote.
View ArticleContinuity on Obama’s Economic Team
Jacob J. Lew is part of a small circle of economic advisers who have ascended to prominent roles in the first term of the Obama presidency and will shape policy in the second.
View ArticleLifting the Veil on the Fed’s 2007 Discussions
The Federal Reserve has released the transcripts of its meetings in the pivotal year of 2007, when the housing bubble started to burst and the global financial crisis began.
View ArticleThe Leading Liberal Against Affirmative Action
Perhaps the most prominent self-described progressive with doubts about the current version of affirmative action is Richard D. Kahlenberg. He argues that the current race-focused version of...
View ArticleChanging the Culture of College Application
Changing the application and enrollments patterns of high-achieving, low-income students will probably take an enormous amount of initial work. Over time, though, the work will get easier.
View ArticleWhat Makes a College ‘Selective’— and Why It Matters
Studies of selective colleges — which have more resources and higher graduation rates than others — are often based on 200 to 250 institutions based on categories chosen by Barron’s.
View ArticleHow the Location of Colleges Hurts the Economy
The location of the nation’s top colleges reflects the past as much as the present. As a result, many students who live far away from such colleges – especially in the Sun Belt and Mountain West –...
View ArticleObama Likes Some Sin Taxes More Than Others
President Obama’s budget continues the Democratic preference for cigarette taxes over alcohol or soda taxes – even though alcohol and soda consumption may cost society more money than smoking.
View ArticleNeither a Swoon Nor a Surge
Even with the strength of the April employment report, activity in the job market still does not seem to be accelerating.
View ArticleWhere the Jobs for the Young Are and Aren’t
In three regions -- the upper Midwest, New England and the area around Washington -- the job market for younger adults is considerably stronger than in the rest of the country.
View ArticleQ. and A. on the ‘Shell Game’ of College Aid
In a question-and-answer exchange, the author of a new report on financial aid describes problems in making college affordable for low-income students, and potential solutions.
View ArticleThe Changing Face of Community Colleges
A Century Foundation report shows a sharp increase in enrollment of lower-income, nonwhite students at community colleges, institutions that will do much to shape the economy.
View ArticleUntangling What Companies Pay in Taxes
Though companies often make their tax situation as opaque as possible, citing complex calculations, much can be gleaned by looking at a standard measure in public reports over several years.
View ArticleHow to Cure the College Dropout Syndrome
A conversation with Jeffrey Selingo, the author of “College (Un)Bound,” who argues that the higher-education system is both vital to the American economy and “broken.”
View ArticleBridging the Income Barrier at Top Colleges
A report calls for the expansion of a recent experiment aimed at persuading highly qualified low-income students to apply to leading colleges.
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